Testing finds new Ford hybrid gets less miles per gallon than claimed.

AMELIA RITCHIE - © Fairfax NZ News

The new Suzuki Swift Sport has an almost aggressive allure.

PAUL OWEN - © Fairfax NZ News

Once a road warrior, always a road warrior with the new-look Subaru WRX still an exceptional drive.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Subaru's BRZ sports car is memorable for its simplicity and the package adds up to something special.

PAUL OWEN - © Fairfax NZ News

Subaru's XV is the good-looker in the company's crossover wagons, but the larger Forester offers better value.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

It can be had with one of the sweetest and most powerful V6s in the business, but here the Accord with just four cylinders is preferred.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Skoda's Citigo gets to NZ later this year, but Dave Moore has already driven it and thinks it's the best small car in the world.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Hyundai's stylish i45 sedan has been facelifted in an effort to keep it relevant in a pressure-filled market segment.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

It's not quite as pretty as the hatch on which it is based, but the wagon version of the i30 is one of Hyundai's most compelling new cars.

Although there is a big move towards SUV-style vehicles, there's still room for a lower-slung all-paw wagon.

Holden is out to prove that big cars don't necessarily equate to big fuel bills with its latest Commodore.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Apart from a bruised head, Dave Moore found his time with the Mazda6 was a treat.

The 2013 Mini Cooper Paceman S All4 is a weird automobile.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

All the news is about the Benz A-class, but for a bit more, you get a lot more space with the B-class.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Nissan Pulsar is back, and the sedan version puts the boot into the opposition.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Audi's new A3 is a bit bigger, a lot lighter and feels like it's been to finishing school.

It loses nothing in fun and cheek, but this coupe come hatch does a better job of looking after passengers.

Take cover Ferrari and McLaren, the fastest, most powerful Porsche road car ever is a game changer.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

It looks like an SUV but in reality it's one of the world's tallest hot-hatches.

KYLE CASSIDY - © Fairfax NZ News

If ever there was a car worth being cooped up in an aircraft for nearly 60 hours, it is the Aston Martin Rapide S.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Forget about what drives this car. Treat it like any other vehicle and just remember to plug it in every day at home.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

While the new Holden Cruze Sportswagon is a spacious good looker, it lacks oomph under the hood.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

New Audi wagon fast as a Ferrari and faster than most Porsches.

PAUL OWEN - © Fairfax NZ News

The Porsche Cayman may be too much of a "nice car" for its own good.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

In many respects, the GX is the best Toyota Corolla, despite its entry-version status.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Fiat's little 500 TwinAir "Rock Star" is the most fun for your dollar you can get with four wheels.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Focus-sized SX4 is not that little and once you see what it can do, you'll wonder, as we do, why there aren't more around.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

The Lexus LS600hL costs as much as your average provincial city house - but it's fantastic.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Mitsubishi's new Mirage is a case of getting what you pay for - which is actually quite a lot for the money.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

The handle and blade have been changed a few times over the years, but essentially Porsche's 911 is the same car it ever was.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Audi's new RS4 Avant can be scarily fast - when it wants to be. But most of the time, it's a pussycat.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

There are more expensive Peugeot 208s, but its cheapest version is head and shoulders the best.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Driving the new Golf 7 is like meeting Daniel Day-Lewis or Meryl Streep.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

The new Mazda6 is capable of actively looking out for trouble in an electronic effort to keep those aboard safe.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

This diesel Kia is the best model of the Rio fleet, despite that extra retail price and the unfairness of the RUCs regime.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

You can load the new A-class Mercedes-Benz with all manner of goodies, but truth be known, the starter model might just be the best.

PAUL OWEN - © Fairfax NZ News

We easily accept art for art's sake, but are we ready to accept quirkiness for the sake of it in the Citroën DS5.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Toyota says V stands for versatility with its latest hybrid, the Prius V.

PAUL OWEN - © Fairfax NZ News

Two-thirds of 911 buyers opt for the more-macho rear-drive version of the most recognisable German sportscar. Paul Owen reckons the other third now enjoy the better drive.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Thirty-four years on from the original Mirage, Mitsubishi will be hoping some of that car's success will rub off on the new one.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Mercedes-Benz's latest A-class models are much-changed from earlier editions.

PAUL OWEN - © Fairfax NZ News

We find out what $780,000 can buy in a car without equal - the Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

We haven't had a Pulsar for nearly seven years and we are glad it's back after the Tiida.

When Volkswagen revived the Beetle, the new car found favour mostly with women. The latest version will have more cross-gender appeal.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

It's eye-wateringly expensive but the best luxury off-roader in the world just got even better.

We takes a top-of-the-line Mitsubishi Outlander for a spin, and find equipment you wouldn't normally expect in a family SUV.

It might not be faster than a speeding bullet, but the Audi S6 Avant is a superwagon.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

New Beetle IIs in NZ won't be cheap, but there's method in Volkswagen's madness.

OK, let's get this out of the way first - the new Toyota Corolla Levin is not named after the capital of Horowhenua.

Argue all you like, there's no doubt which company puts most DNA into the Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ joint venture.

The ST badging on the new Ford Focus could stand for 'Sound Track'.

The Holden Volt brings a more attractive sense of style to the hybrid sector, along with the opportunity to run for longer on electric power alone.

A tougher frontal offset crash test designed to mimic real crashes has been introduced in the US and has claimed some big-name failures.

Suzuki's revamped high-rise Splash is probably better-suited to family life than its Swift sibling, and has enjoyed an important safety upgrade, writes Dave Moore.

PAUL OWEN - © Fairfax NZ News

RS4 is the latest high-revving high-performance star from Audi's Quattro GMBH.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Less is more with Bentley's latest, smaller-engined Continental GT and GTC.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

The Hyundai i30 is one of Korea's most important new cars and it has almost everything.

Lexus says its new compact sedan will offer more driving pleasure than the 3-Series.

The new Mazda6 is a compelling proposition.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

This Renault grabs you as much with its performance as its low-slung looks.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Hyundai has turbocharged its Veloster coupe, allowing it to make the colourful claim that it has added brawn to beauty.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

This very good Lexus GS250 deserves better recognition than before.

A four-seat convertible for less than some Japanese hatchbacks is something to celebrate.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

In the 1970s, the first 6-series was a one-model affair. Now there are so many it's hard to keep track but they remain BMW's most powerful cars on the road and the track.

The new Hyundai i30 is one of the standout vehicles to enter the New Zealand market this year.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

After treading water for several generations, the Toyota Corolla at last fronts up as the great car it has often promised to be.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Continuing a tradition of sporting front-drive Fords, the Focus ST uses a Falcon engine to get its thrust.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Ignore the wings and stuff, Toyota's GT86 is no try-hard. It's probably the most entertaining affordable sports car of the moment, and well worth savouring.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

It's the luxury SUV you get when you wouldn't be seen dead in an SUV.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Here's a luxurious sedan that Subaru claims is perfect for everyone from cow-cockies to company executives.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

The new manual S version of the Honda Civic Euro hatch is a little honey.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

There are millions of people throughout the world - New Zealand included - who will be familiar with the lineage of the the Peugeot 208.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

The Mazda6 confounds rumours that the days of the conventional family sedan and wagon are numbered.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Statistics, huh? Sometimes they're not exactly what they seem.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

When is a coupe not a coupe? Who cares, when you're behind the wheel of a brilliant four-door addition to the BMW 6-Series selection.

A vision impaired man test drives Google's new autonomous car.

This Mercedes niche model blends a coupe-like silhouette with a wagon-sized boot.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

This new-age car is the Holden Volt, which enters the New Zealand new car market in November.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

The famous British vehicle MG is coming back - only this time it is owned by the Chinese.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Fifty or so years ago Jaguar effectively invented the high-performance four-door sedan. It has taken a while, but the latest XFR has put the brand back at the top of the tree.

WARREN BROWN

The Dodge Charger SRT8 almost made Warren Brown think again about Mitt Romney.

© Fairfax NZ News

If you can afford the nearly $200,000 price tag then paying for the fuel in the gas-guzzling Lexus LX570 SUV presumably won't be a problem.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

One of the big motoring debates of the year is which new BMW 3-Series is best - big or small? We argue in favour of big.

Meet the supercar money can't buy. It's Ferrari's new hero, the F12 Berlinetta, the fastest and most powerful road car it has ever built.

Holden calls the new Volt a long-range electric car, but ours used petrol.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Toyota has introduced a brand-new sports car simply called 86 and it's a little beauty.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

It is doubtful that the promised replacement for what is now a 65-year-old design will ever be as good as the compromised but brilliant original Land Rover.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Good as it is, the Toyota Aurion has always been on a hiding to nothing.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Ford appears to have solved the economy and emissions conundrum for its familiar staple sedan, but the shame is it is probably too late to save the likeable beast.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

The Ford Kuga is a very good vehicle that has finally - finally - made its way to NZ's new-vehicle market.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Holden's new Colorado is an appealing addition to what is now a stellar lineup of double-cab utes available in New Zealand.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

It doesn't come as any great surprise that Lexus New Zealand has dropped the 4.6-litre V8 model from its GS lineup.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

VW has taken an eight-speed auto from the Audi A8 luxury sedan and put it into a ute.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Is the Great Wall X-200 like the wannabe golfers you often see out on the golf courses?

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

Nissan's wee Juke is living proof that Britain can still design and build interesting cars that are fun to drive.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

It feels as if the Nissan X-Trail has been around for yonks.

ROB MAETZIG - © Fairfax NZ News

Hot hatches are cool cars.

DAVE MOORE - © Fairfax NZ News

The wagon segment has shrunk in recent times, but it wouldn't have if they all drove like Ford's Focus III.

The Lexus RX350 luxury crossover SUV has just been given a facelift - the perfect opportunity for Rob Maetzig to be re-united with the vehicle.